Haiti youth Swim Team at the Carifta games in 2017
Swim for Haiti was proud to support the Haiti Youth Swim Team in 2017!
Swim for Haiti donations suppoprted a 6 member delegation to compete in Haiti’s first ever Carifta Games hosted by the Bahamas. Started in 1972, the Carifta Games is an annual athletics competition for Caribbean athletes 17 and younger to compete. The Carifta Games is considered “on par with the World Championships” and is an excellent developmental meet in the world of athletics. We believe that sending young Haitian athletes to this meet will help us in our goal of developing a strong Haitian Swim team as we prepare for the 2020 Olympic Games. This year, the swimming portion of Carifta Games will be from April 20-24.
We sent 4 athletes (Silvia Rivoli, Genivive Duvivier, Fritz Ariel Moise, and Philippe Henri), a swim coach (Stenio Amilcar) and a team manager (Pascalle Duvivier) to represent Haiti at the Carifta Games. We believe it is important for Haiti to be present in these Caribbean games as we prepare to grow our presence at international swimming competitions and compete in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
We sent 4 athletes (Silvia Rivoli, Genivive Duvivier, Fritz Ariel Moise, and Philippe Henri), a swim coach (Stenio Amilcar) and a team manager (Pascalle Duvivier) to represent Haiti at the Carifta Games. We believe it is important for Haiti to be present in these Caribbean games as we prepare to grow our presence at international swimming competitions and compete in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Because the government does not allocate funds to Haitian athletics and the Haitian Swimming Federation is a new organization, the team was entirely dependent on outside resources who share the same goals as we do—allowing Haiti the same access and representation at world class swimming events—to move forward in their efforts.
Meet the Athletes!
CARIFTA Swimmers
Philippe-Henri Apollon is a 17 years old Haitian born in Pétion-ville. He has been swimming ever since he was young at Aquaflo swimming camp with Florence Lebrun as swimming instructor. He automatically fell in love with the sport ever since. Now, he is training with Carl Duvivier. He has participated in some national swimming competitions and is ready/excited for more.
Genevieve Duvivier is a 17 year old Haitian born in Port-Au-Prince. She has been swimming ever since she was little and has been trained by her father who is a swimming instructor with over 30 years of experience. She started competing nationally for Haiti in 2016. Her best events are the 50m free and the 50m breaststroke.
Fritz -Ariel Moise is 15 year old Haitian born in Port AuPrince. He has been swimming for the past eight years, as a way to help with his asthma crisis. He also is a black belt and a second place tae kwan do finisher. He is excited to be a new member of the Haitian team.
Silivia Rivoli is a 17 year old Italian who lives in Haiti. She has been swimming ever since she was little, but after the Haitian earthquake of 2008, doctors recommended swimming to help rehabilitate her shoulders and back. As she started to put more time in the water, she developed a love for the sport. She has been training alone in Haiti since 2012 and is excited to be a new member of the Haitian team.
Philippe-Henri Apollon is a 17 years old Haitian born in Pétion-ville. He has been swimming ever since he was young at Aquaflo swimming camp with Florence Lebrun as swimming instructor. He automatically fell in love with the sport ever since. Now, he is training with Carl Duvivier. He has participated in some national swimming competitions and is ready/excited for more.
Genevieve Duvivier is a 17 year old Haitian born in Port-Au-Prince. She has been swimming ever since she was little and has been trained by her father who is a swimming instructor with over 30 years of experience. She started competing nationally for Haiti in 2016. Her best events are the 50m free and the 50m breaststroke.
Fritz -Ariel Moise is 15 year old Haitian born in Port AuPrince. He has been swimming for the past eight years, as a way to help with his asthma crisis. He also is a black belt and a second place tae kwan do finisher. He is excited to be a new member of the Haitian team.
Silivia Rivoli is a 17 year old Italian who lives in Haiti. She has been swimming ever since she was little, but after the Haitian earthquake of 2008, doctors recommended swimming to help rehabilitate her shoulders and back. As she started to put more time in the water, she developed a love for the sport. She has been training alone in Haiti since 2012 and is excited to be a new member of the Haitian team.
History
In 2014, Haiti became the 204th country to receive membership as a federation by FINA, the governing body of swimming. Prior to this, Haiti had only 1 Olympic Swimmer ever. Alain Sergile competed in the 1996 Olympic Games in the 100m butterfly for Haiti. The newly established federation sent 1 or 2 athletes to various world competitions. Most notably, Haiti sent their first ever Haitian Swim team in 2016 to compete (for the first time) at CISC, the Caribbean Island Championships in the Bahamas. This served as the Caribbean Island Olympic trials. After a 20 year disappearance, Haiti returned to swimming and competed in the 2016 Olympic Games. They sent a 2 person swim team: male swimmer Mike Dorsavinil and first ever female swimmer, Naomy Grand’Pierre to compete in the 50m free-stlye.
As Haiti prepares to send more athletes to the next Olympic games in 2020, the goal is to keep Haiti swimming and continue growing the swim team and the sport. Only 1% of the Haitian population knows how to swim and there are currently no Olympic sized or 25m pools on the island. After competing in the Olympic Games, Naomy Grand’Pierre has been working alongside the Haitian Swimming Federation to make it a goal to grow awareness for swimming in Haiti, encourage people to learn how to swim and join the swim team. Naomy Grand’Pierre’s personal goal is to have a Haitian relay team and a 50m swimming pool in Haiti by the 2020 Olympic Games. Efforts to grow the swim team and rebuild the 50m pool in Carrefour are underway, however the biggest problem that faces progress is funding.
With the right people, the right goals and the proper funding, Haiti is capable of joining the ranks as a competitive country in the world of swimming. See how you can get involved!
As Haiti prepares to send more athletes to the next Olympic games in 2020, the goal is to keep Haiti swimming and continue growing the swim team and the sport. Only 1% of the Haitian population knows how to swim and there are currently no Olympic sized or 25m pools on the island. After competing in the Olympic Games, Naomy Grand’Pierre has been working alongside the Haitian Swimming Federation to make it a goal to grow awareness for swimming in Haiti, encourage people to learn how to swim and join the swim team. Naomy Grand’Pierre’s personal goal is to have a Haitian relay team and a 50m swimming pool in Haiti by the 2020 Olympic Games. Efforts to grow the swim team and rebuild the 50m pool in Carrefour are underway, however the biggest problem that faces progress is funding.
With the right people, the right goals and the proper funding, Haiti is capable of joining the ranks as a competitive country in the world of swimming. See how you can get involved!